Ramadan Challenge #YallaRamadan

So.. My high school buddy, Sahil Vakil, updates his bb status with ‘#YallaSafa tonite, whos in?’ Having neglected my newly taken up Ashtanga Yoga recently, due to a fall and a hectic schedule, I decided to take this opportunity as an effort to resume my progress in the direction of ‘physical fitness’..

A new unexplored territory. I don’t know the first thing about ‘exercise’, I’ve never done it. Most of my physical exertion comes from a busy work life, and 2 hour walks I take a couple times a week. However, this new years (2013) I made a conscious, overdue decision to start putting effort into taking care of my body.

Your mind, your soul and your body are one, there is no point in investing so much into two aspects of your being, and completely ignoring the third. It creates imbalance and disharmony. Just as you feed your soul, and your mind, you must also nurture your body. It was Alex Nazarian, owner of U Concept Gym(With branches in Dubai and Beirut), that informed me, lack of physical activity and exercise creates room for stress and negativity to settle into your muscles and your system, which actually results in depression and other ailments. The less active you are, the more likely you are to feel stressed and down. That’s no way to live.

Alex Nazarian – Owner of U Concept

I started with training at the amazing U Concept Gym at DIFC, where the head personal trainer Pierre Felfle was astounded at my very high body fat percentage and zero muscle mass. It was very hard work and rather painful, but with dedication from both my super amazing trainer Pierre and myself, I felt toned, stronger and happier. He said it was like teaching a small child how to exercise hahahahaha! Thank you for your patience Pierre! (Pierre is now the manager of newly opened U Concept Gym in Beirut)

U Concept Trainer Pierre

I then went skiing in Couchevel, to which I was in perfect shape for, however I travelled for another 2 months, and by the time I returned to Dubai I was swamped with work and an extremely hectic schedule.

Skiing in Courchevel

However, my best freind worried about my fitness state returning to zero, and insisted I enroll in a one month ashtanga yoga course at The Yoga Room. I was worried too that I would lose any progress I had made and enrolled. I have to say the effects were unreal. I lost the weight I’d put on in freezing London, I gained muscle that looked pretty and not bulky, and my posture and my strength improved significantly. I was so pleased, I started attending Yoga mysore at 7AM, and then, one night while I was at home alone, I fell.. severely bruising my hand and knee. I was ok but very badly bruised, I couldn’t do the yoga positions at all.

So I decided to take a break and heal, which landed me where I am today, a month and a half of no fitness yet again. I am healed now from that annoying fall and ready to resume physical activity all in the name of ‘health’. So upon witnessing Sahil’s BB messenger update, I thought why not?? Walking around Safa Park every night during the holy month of Ramadan seems like a good step!

I arrived at Safa Parkat 9pm to meet my buddy Sahil, only to find him transformed into an Army Officer ready to kick my butt and make me RUN! ‘Run?’ I said… ‘I can’t run..’ He said ‘you thought you were gonna walk with me around safa park?’

A moment of shock.

It was too late to turn back, drop out or cancel.

Crap.

My intention of committing to a 30 Day Challenge of walking around safa park, was drastically upgraded to RUNNING.

And.. he made me run…

Keep in mind it is 37 degrees Celsius at night with humidity of 50 percent. You might as well put yourself in an oven.

If you see a small person running for her life screaming ‘I CANT BREAAAAAAATHE’ with a huge man pushing her from behind screaming ‘RUNNNNNNNN!!!!’ at Safa Park around 9PM.. Hello..